


No Use Crying Over Spilled Beer

by 94BottlesOfSnapple



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Arguing, Comfort, Drinks Are Spilled, F/M, Julian Devorak is Too Nice, Julian's Route, Post-Book VI, Syneas Cries Too Much, The Rowdy Raven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 09:15:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12429687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/94BottlesOfSnapple/pseuds/94BottlesOfSnapple
Summary: Some of the patrons of the Rowdy Raven are very protective of their favorite doctor.Consequently, Syneas ends up covered in booze again.





	No Use Crying Over Spilled Beer

**Author's Note:**

> After replaying the Book V scene where you get covered in wine, I really wanted to write a mirrored scene for the Rowdy Raven. I can't imagine that at least one person who frequents the Rowdy Raven wouldn't have an issue with a magician the Countess hired hanging around.

A shadow fell over the little table Syneas and Julian shared at the back of the Rowdy Raven. Both of them glanced up, but the person standing there had their eyes on Syneas alone. And they didn’t look happy. The magician studied the stranger warily, a smile still on her face from something clever Julian had said. His hand was clasped around hers.

“Can I… Help you…?”

“You can drop the innocent act,” they growled. “I know why you’re here.”

“W-what…?” Syneas asked, and a cold sweat began to prickle at the base of her skull.

Her eyes darted over to Julian, who was staring up at the other tavern patron with a troubled look on his face.

“You think we wouldn’t find out the Countess hired you to hunt down the good doctor, here?”

Syneas flinched. Julian’s hand retreated suddenly, and she didn’t have the courage to look at his expression. He said nothing in her defense, and although she understood why he might not, it still hurt. The rest of the bar seemed to rise to their feet, faces grim and unfriendly and pointed right at her.

“Why don’t you run back to your mistress like the dog you are?” the stranger standing over Syneas finished.

And then they upended the tankard in their hand over her head.

Syneas’ still-lingering smile twitched. Once again, she was dripping wet. Once again, someone had seen fit to dump their drink on her. But this time without even the sour decency of the Consul’s pretense. Her hair hung lank in her face and it smelled like beer. She gave her arms a sharp, angry flick to slough the alcohol off them, then pressed her palms to the table and stood.

The patron who had doused Syneas in beer was a good deal taller than her. However, they took a hesitant step back as she got to her feet, despite all their former courage. Already, Syneas could feel hot, humiliated tears burning at her eyes, so she squinted to try and hold them back. For a moment, her anger choked her and she couldn’t find any words.

The Rowdy Raven had fallen completely silent.

“I can see I’m not wanted,” Syneas managed at last, tightly, forcing the words past the building lump in her throat.

She strode for the door of the tavern as quickly as her legs would carry her, never looking over to see the expression on Julian’s face. If he was in on it she didn’t want to know, and if he wasn’t then she didn’t want to know what he thought of her now. The tavern patrons parted in waves to clear her path but Syneas hardly noticed, all her thoughts focused on a single mantra – _don’t cry yet, don’t cry yet, don’t cry yet_.

The door slammed closed behind her. Drenched as she was, the balmy night air felt cool on her skin. Syneas had no idea where to go – back to the palace? Her shop? But either way, she needed to get as far from the Rowdy Raven as possible, needed to distance herself from potential witnesses to her tears.

The door to the tavern opened again, spilling yellow light into the alley, and Syneas chose a direction at random just to escape it.

“Syneas…! Syneas, wait!”

But Julian’s call only made her walk faster. His legs were much longer than hers, though, and try as she might there was no feasible way to outrun him. He was at her side after only six steps, curling an arm around her shoulders and bringing her to a stop.

“Ah, now, just… Let me see,” he said, turning her so they were facing one another. “It, er, it’s not so bad. We’ll go back and get you cleaned up, I know Tanner keeps some towels behind the counter—”

Syneas’ head shot up and she leveled Julian with her fiercest glare, but just seeing his face – god, why was he looking at her so _kindly_ , even now? – was enough to send the tears spilling over onto her cheeks.

“Go _away_!” she spat at him, her voice cracking tellingly.

Julian still flinched. There was more Syneas wanted to say, acid burning in the pit of her stomach that she wanted to spit at him no matter how horrible it was, but she couldn’t get the words out. So she turned back to the direction she’d been going and stormed off again.

“S-Syneas…!” Julian called again, and his boots clicked on the cobblestones as he scrambled after her. “Please wait, I, ah. I hope you don’t think I had anything to do with that, I would never—”

Syneas tried to tighten her mouth and shout at him again, but all that came out was a strangled sob. She picked up her pace. Julian kept up with her anyway, effortlessly.

“Ohhh, I’m making a mess of this… Please don’t cry, look, why don’t we just—”

Syneas stopped suddenly, and Julian almost overbalanced in his attempt not to run into her.

“We?” she choked out, scowling up at him through a sheen of tears. “There, there’s not a _we_ , Julian! There’s just me and I’m going _home_!”

It wasn’t what she wanted to say, but they were the only words that came to her lips, so she flung them at him anyway.

“Now don’t… Syneas, please don’t say that,” replied Julian. “Weren’t we having a nice time?”

He cupped her shoulders in his gloved hands, offered a weak smile.

“A _nice time_? God, do you even _hear_ yourself? They were _right_ , you know! The Countess _hired me to catch you_! Because she wants to have you in custody for the masquerade and, and—In front of— _Oh god_ —”

Syneas broke off with a retch, couldn’t even bear to force the words ‘hang’ or ‘execute’ from her lips. Just the idea of him dead set her stomach churning with bile, and thoughts of him hanging made her head swim. She could barely breathe, each inhalation a battle against her running nose and her choked-up throat.

And then she was wrapped in a comforting embrace, her cheek pressed tightly to the bare skin of Julian’s chest.

“And you think I believe for a second that you would actually do that?” he asked softly, a note of fondness in his voice. “After the fit you threw when I used my curse to save your life? The people in there just don't know you as well as I do. They'll come around.”

“Julian… I…”

“Shhh… It’s fine,” he soothed, carding a hand through her damp hair. “Come on now, I need you to breathe for me.”

Syneas nodded, and took several slow, shaky breaths. Then she closed her eyes, carefully timing her inhales and exhales with Julian’s. Finally, finally, a wave of calm began to wash over her.

“There we go… Feeling better?”

Syneas nodded. A dizzy giggle slipped past her lips.

“I’m going to get you all sticky,” she mused, her voice a little hoarse from crying.

“Mm. There are certainly more enjoyable ways to go about doing that.”

That managed to prod Syneas into a full laugh.

“You’re _awful_ , Julian.”

“One of my many charms,” he joked.

And then the whole world tilted sideways as he swept her up into his arms like a princess from a fairytale. Of course, Syneas entirely ruined the atmosphere by squeaking in surprise and flailing. Eventually she managed to loop her arms around his neck and steady herself, but by then Julian was the one laughing.

Not that Syneas necessarily minded. It was… Warmer, brighter than his usual laughter. There was no bitterness or irony tainting it. And the grin on his face was easier than others she remembered, though no more or less heart-stopping. She only distantly realized he was striding through the dark streets.

“Where are we going?” Syneas asked, still distracted by studying Julian’s face.

“Somewhere to get cleaned up,” came the answer. “Can’t let the Countess see you covered in beer – what would happen to your reputation then?”

“She’s already seen me covered in wine by one of her courtiers, and all she did was offer me new clothes.”

“Ahhh, she likes you,” Julian said thoughtfully.

There was an undertone of amusement to his voice, and it made Syneas’ heart lighter.

“Everyone likes me,” she retorted.

The brow over Julian’s good eye rose, and his mouth pulled into something skeptical.

“Except the courtiers, apparently.”

“They don’t count,” argued Syneas, a pout on her lips. “I’m not even sure they’re actually human beings.”

Julian nodded, as though that made perfect sense.

“How else could they resist your charms?”

Then he dipped his head and pressed a kiss to her lips. A feeling of peace settled over Syneas’ heart, as though the last piece of her world had finally clicked back into place again. Somehow, everything was still… Ok.

For the moment, the delicate balance of her life was undisturbed. Later, she would have to deal with it – the warring loyalties, how to support Nadia without betraying Julian, what to tell Asra, an explanation for her absences, all of it. But that was later.

“Though, I do have to warn you,” Julian said, jolting her from her thoughts, “since it’s so late, it really would put my friend out to have to prepare more than one bath…”

Syneas laughed, burying her face in Julian’s shoulder to avoid the somehow-still-charming leer on his face.

“If you wanted to share, you could have just asked,” she said.

They continued through the night quietly for a few minutes, and every so often Syneas spotted the shadow of black wings against the night sky that told her Julian’s raven friend was looking out for them. A sleepy smile spread across her face.

And then, thinking of animals, her head shot up. Julian stumbled, jerking his head back just in time to avoid her skull colliding with his chin.

“Augh!” Syneas groaned. “I just thought of the perfect comeback! God, why is it always after the end of the argument you come up with something good! I should have said, ‘actually the Countess has two dogs, and they’re both better-behaved than you’!”

Julian chuckled, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“If it’s any consolation,” he told her, “I’m fairly certain you terrified everyone in the bar anyway.”

“… Good riddance.”

Then, with a yawn, Syneas settled her head back on Julian’s shoulder and closed her eyes.


End file.
